The Cave
by wbaker5286
Summary: A short offering to the season of all things scary. Happy Halloween. I own nothing connected with Inuyasha, and make no profit from it.
1. Chapter 1

A Day to Play

You would think a half demon would be hard to spook, wouldn't you? How much unadulterated horror would it take to make an unearthly being cower in terror? What could dwell in any of the levels of hell to rival the iniquity of the darkness that had surrounded them?

When they had decided to check out the cave, they'd had no idea what they were getting themselves into. It had looked innocent enough at first. It had typical rocky walls and cozy looking moss growing around the opening. In other words, it was what they expected a cave to be. When they had ventured into the yawning maw, no one had felt the slightest tingle that might signify the unspeakable terrorism they would soon be subjected to.

A lazy afternoon spent exploring a harmless cave had sounded like it would be fun. They had all thought it would be an adventure. The girls had even decided to make a game of it. They'd split into three teams, Inuyasha and Kagome in the first, Sango and Miroku together for the second, and Shippou and Kirara making up the final team. The object of the competition was to see which team could find the best 'treasure' in the complex of tunnels and offshoots.

Shippou and Kirara had taken off at a run, and were back before the others had made it out of the opening cavern. The little kitsune was waving his hands above his head wildly, telling all who would hear, "We found it! The most wonderful treasure this old cave has! No one's gonna beat us!" In his small hands, he proudly displayed an old snake skin. The small snake that had cast it off must have made it's home in the cave at one time.

Kagome shivered as she looked at it. She only hoped that the snake it belonged to was not hiding somewhere else in the cave. Even with her fearless hanyou by her side, she would hate to run into it in a dark tunnel.

With a sparkly, fake smile on her face, she'd told the small demon, "How nice, Shippou. That certainly will be hard to top, but we're going to try."

Deciding that a bit of privacy might help in his quest of finding a few moments of intimacy with the woman of his dreams, Miroku took the hand of the demon slayer. "I think the lovely Sango and I will take the tunnel on the right. You two might find something interesting off to the left." Miroku grinned a sly grin as he pulled Sango along his chosen path.

"I don't know why the baka chose that tunnel," Inuyasha said, as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's so dark in there, they'll never be able to find anything except each other."

"I know," Kagome replied with a moony look in her eyes. "Isn't it the most romantic thing you ever heard?"

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, and trying his best to hide the flush that was threatening to take over his cheeks, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her into the tunnel on the left. "Come on. No matter how they spend their time, we're gonna win this contest." The images of what might happen when they were safely alone in their own section of the system of caverns flashed rapidly through his mind, but he couldn't turn away from the challenge of the competition, either.

Kagome smiled as scenes of what she wanted to do to the obtuse man at her side flew through her own mind. "There's usually more that one way to win, Inuyasha," she purred.

"Keh! I think you were out in the hot sun too long. Your brain might have been cooked. Either you win, or you loose. I don't like to loose, so we're gonna win." There was no way in all the hells that he would let the little brat beat him at this game.

The couple started walking along their chosen path. Kagome couldn't help but think of the snake that had discarded it's skin for Shippou to find. She worried that going so far into the tunnel would put them further from any source of light. She guessed that if Inuyasha shared her thoughts, they would cause no worry for the half demon.

Pulling the miko of his dreams further down the tunnel, Inuyasha was amazed to find a soft glow shining along the walls that sheltered the two of them. There was not enough light to illuminate the tunnel, but there was enough to help Kagome feel comfortable traveling this far into the cave.

The two kept an easy conversation going while they walked. Nothing too serious was discussed, but the light, flirtatious nature of their conversation kept both of them unaware of the passing of time. It wasn't until the growling of the hanyou's stomach interrupted their conversation that either noticed how much time must have elapsed since they began their adventure. With no sun to keep them informed as to the time of day, they could only guess that they had been walking for well over an hour.

"Maybe we should head back," Kagome ventured. "The others must be waiting for us."

"No way am I going back without something to win this silly game. You and Sango decided on the rules, so you can't back out now. Besides, there's something sparkling in that rock just ahead of us, see?" Inuyasha had spied the faint twinkle with the aid of his enhanced eyesight.

"I don't know, Inuyasha. I can't see anything, and I'm starting to get a bad feeling about being so deep in this cave. What would we do if there was a cave in or something?"

"Don't be so silly, wench," Inuyasha said, as he pulled the girl to his chest. "I could take care of any rocks that tried to keep us in here. They usually don't put up too much of a fight, ya know?" The sly smile that crept onto his lips proved to be too enticing for the miko to pass up. Kagome rose to her tip toes, and placed a sweet kiss on the corner of his mouth.

The surprise of the movement caught him off guard, but not far enough off to keep him from responding. There had been far too few opportunities for privacy lately. He looked into Kagome's eyes, and almost growled out the words, "You shouldn't start what you ain't plannin' on finishin'."

Inuyasha pulled the petite girl tighter into the embrace, and kissed her with all the feelings that had been denied due to the lack of privacy. The intensity of the kiss was enough to make his heart beat faster than it ever had in any battle he'd ever been in. All thoughts of games, competitions or treasures left his mind only to be replaced with the warmth of the connection the two young lovers shared. His hands ran up and down Kagome's sides, as his tongue found its way into her sweet mouth.

The kiss seemed to go on and on. Neither wanted to break the contact, even to draw a much needed breath. Kagome was captivated by the romance of the situation. The glowing walls seemed to surround them with a million twinkling stars. The man she loved so much was holding her in his strong arms. The kiss they were sharing was enough to turn her brain to sentimental pulp. It was the magical kiss that every schoolgirl longed for. 'See, Inuyasha. I found my treasure. I win,' she thought to herself.

So lost in the kiss were they that neither noticed the pulse of energy that emanated from the object that Inuyasha had spied earlier. Both did feel the change in the air surrounding them, though. The sudden drop in temperature, combined with the breeze that started blowing was enough to wrest their attention away from each other.

"I really think we should get out of here," Kagome said, still holding onto Inuyasha. "This is really starting to freak me out."

"Just let me get whatever that is in the rock. We're still gonna win this dumb game."

"I don't know if that would be such a good idea, Inuyasha. I don't want to go another foot into this tunnel."

"Suit yourself. I'll go get it, and be right back. It can't be more than fifty paces further. You'll be able to see me the whole time."

"Just hurry, okay? I want to get out of here now."

Inuyasha jogged to the spot he thought the object should be. It was strange that the twinkling that had grabbed his attention before could no longer be seen. He focused his sight on the rock wall before him, and could just make out the shape of something that didn't belong there. Looking back to where Kagome stood, he said, "You're not gonna believe this. I think it's a sword that's buried in the wall. It looks like the hilt is sticking out. I'm gonna see if I can pull it out, so we can take it back."

"Just be careful, okay? This place is really starting to give me the creeps." Kagome tried to ward off the chills that were invading her body by rubbing her arms, but it did little to alleviate the coldness that seemed to want to permeate her very soul.

Just as she thought back on a long forgotten school lesson about the left side having been equated with the sinister side of nature, and superimposing the memory of she and Inuyasha choosing to take the tunnel on the left, she heard the hanyou say, "I think it's coming loose."

Before she could give voice to the unexplained panic rising within her, she heard the sliding of metal against stone, while the softly glowing walls went dark in the same instant. From further down the passage she heard her friend's voice break out with "What the fuck..?" before it was buried within the sound of falling rocks.

8-8-8-8

Sango nervously paced in front of the cave's entrance as Shippou and Kirara played in the field outside. Miroku leaned against the rocky walls and fingered the smooth sides of the unusual stone that was the pair's token offering to the 'treasure' collection, and reminded the slayer that patience was a virtue. "We enjoyed our time alone, didn't we? Inuyasha and Kagome are undoubtedly doing the same. You know that neither of them care to show their feelings in front of others. The time together, away from everyone else, will do them both good."

"I suppose you are right, as usual, Hoshi. I just wish that they would hurry. Suddenly, I don't care to stay here any longer. I would like to be far away by nightfall."

"Perhaps we can convince Shippou and Kirara to find fresh water to refill our bottles. Then we could enjoy some more private moments, also."

The sudden gust of wind and dust that came from the tunnel that the two missing friends had taken grabbed the attention of the slayer and the monk. "That may be a sign that it's time to be alarmed, Sango. Perhaps we should see if our assistance is needed."

Sango grabbed her hiraikotsu as Miroku picked up his shakujou. Together they made their way into the opening of the left tunnel. Kirara sensed the anxiety of her mistress, and picked up the kit so that they could follow.

8-8-8-8

Kagome had just enough time to raise her arm to shield her eyes from the cloud of dust that made it's way past her. When she sensed that it was again safe to open her eyes, she found that it did no good. Without the glow that had previously emanated from the walls, she was effectively blind even with her eyes wide open. She could feel the panic within her building as she screamed the name of the man who had been so recently by her side. "Inuyasha, where are you? I can't see anything. Are you alright? What was that noise? Did the wall fall in?"

She knew that the rapid fire nature of her questions gave the hanyou little opportunity to answer, but her heart sank when the only returning sound was a low moan of pain filled anguish. Making her way toward where she thought Inuyasha had been standing, Kagome kept her hands out in front of her to help locate any obstacles in her path. For some reason, she felt an aversion to touching the walls. Whatever had been causing the glow that had seemed so romantically soothing only moments before, frightened her now that they were dark.

She almost failed to hear the whispered words that were meant for her ears. "Kagome, don't come any farther. The floor of the tunnel caved in. You'll fall in, too, if you don't stop where you are."

The words themselves didn't worry her as much as the quality of the voice that issued them. The strain of breathing was evident in the inflection of the words, as was an incredible amount of pain. "Inuyasha, where are you? How badly are you hurt?"

"It's not much more than a scratch," the hanyou gasped, "but I don't think I'll be climbing out of here anytime soon. Do you think you can find the others? Maybe they can help haul my ass out of this hole."

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own? Maybe it would be better if I found a way to come down there, by you."

"No! Whatever you do, don't come near here unless Sango and Miroku are with you! The sooner you find them, the sooner I can get out of this pit, so don't just stand around like a worthless human girl. Find your way out, so I can get out."

He knew he would make her angry at him, but that would be the best way to insure that she didn't come any closer to the edge of hole he was in. There was no way he wanted her anywhere in this tunnel because he was pretty damn sure that he was not alone. Whatever was down here with him was unlike anything he'd ever come into contact with, before.

8-8-8-8

A/N: My darling little muse wanted a scary Halloween story. Having long ago found that I can't refuse Isiaha anything, I decided to try. I don't know how scary this will be, but I'll do my best.

If everything goes according to plan, I should be able to post one chapter every Friday in October, finishing on Halloween. The story is pretty well done, it just needs a little final editing.

Thanks to the wonderful kojika00 for finding all the errors in this, and helping with the formatting issue. It was her turn to use the red pen. If you haven't read her story "The Hunt For The Sword of Legend" you really should.


	2. Chapter 2

I still don't own anything connected with Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Creeping Darkness

Worthless human girl, huh? Where did he get off thinking of her like that? She'd show him! He could rot in that hole for all she cared! Stomping her foot on the rocks below, she'd said, "I'm leaving. If I happen to see the others, I might just send them back for you." She only wished she could believe what she'd said. The darkness of the surroundings weren't helping her feel any more confident about the situation they were in, and she couldn't help the tickle deep in her mind that told her there was something here that she didn't want to see.

8-8-8-8

Once he had satisfied himself that the girl he'd sworn to protect would not try to climb down to help him, Inuyasha had the opportunity to take stock of his condition.

Falling thirty feet, into darkness so thick that even a demon couldn't make out any features, was enough to cause a little pain, but it wasn't enough to keep him from making his way out again, either. What was keeping him in this dank prison was the remains of the cave's floor that had fallen with him.

Rocks, both large and small, had made their way down when he'd pulled the object from the wall. Some of the falling debris had managed to land on top of him when he'd hit the bottom. The angle of his landing had dislocated his right shoulder. Putting it back into place by himself would be painful, but he'd done it before. The muscles and tendons would take time to recover from the unnatural way that they had been stretched, though. And time was something that he didn't have a lot of, right now.

The jagged slab of rock that had landed on his left leg was the cause of most of his worries. Not only had it severely broken the bones above and below the knee, but it had torn the skin and tissue, too. He could feel the wetness of his own blood spreading down the leg of his hakama much faster than he thought he could counteract with his healing abilities. With only one good arm, he couldn't manage to push the huge rock off, either. Unless the others found him, he was trapped and defenseless in the dark.

8-8-8-8

Kagome huffed, as she turned to make her way back to where she thought the main cavern should be. She'd never thought much about it before, but without the aid of sight she found that she had no sense of direction.

She'd only taken two steps when she came into contact with the wall of the cave. The wall was covered by a spongy mass that made her skin crawl wherever it had touched her. Could this be the same thing that had made their embrace seem so romantic, with it's soft glowing light? How could it feel so repulsive now? It almost seemed as if it was sentient, but it was most definitely not alive.

Knowing that sight was lost to her at the time, she turned her senses inward. Closing her eyes she was able to feel the strange aura emanating from the growth on the walls.

Keeping her distance from the unknown substance constant at all times, she slowly walked toward what she hoped was freedom from the cave. It was the single most harrowing walk of her life. Having to trust in her untrained miko abilities, she could only hope that they would not lead her astray. She couldn't even be sure that she wasn't walking directly toward the gap in the floor that Inuyasha had fallen through.

Faith in oneself is never an easy thing to stake one's life upon. Kagome's heart may have been strong and true, but she found it no easier than anyone else would have. With the impenetrable darkness all around her, her mind imagined the most unimaginable things. Phantom shapes came out of the darkness and flew towards her. As she tried to ward them off she found that they existed only in her overworked imagination.

It would take forever to retrace her steps with the halting pace that she was forced to use. Each step took a strength of will that was slowly draining her ability to continue. The overwhelming darkness seemed to be slowly invading her body and mind. It weighted her every breath. The oppressive feeling of the air seemed to throw her usually feisty nature into a depression that she'd never known before. Even when her soul had been invaded by the baby that contained Naraku's heart she hadn't felt this level of desolation.

Gathering all that was left of her strength, she fought off the invading darkness. As she lay shivering on the floor of the cave, she managed to erect a barrier around herself to prevent the blackness from taking her over in entirety. She had no strength left over to devote to further thoughts of escaping the cave. She could only close her eyes, and give in to the need for sleep that suddenly overcame her. As her consciousness left her, she could only hope that Inuyasha was safe.

8-8-8-8

Inuyasha could feel something in the pit with him. It wasn't breathing. It wasn't moving, at least not yet. It was just being. He didn't know how but he could tell that it wasn't something concealed in the darkness. It was the darkness.

It enveloped him in its gentle seduction. It whispered to the most secret parts of his mind of its great glories. It appealed to the wounded psyche deep within the hanyou. It promised rest from all the injustices he'd ever had to suffer. It gave assurances of acceptance, if he would only welcome it within himself.

The more that he tried to struggle against the darkness the more worn he became. It would be a race to see if he was drained by the darkness before he bled out from the wound in his leg. He hoped it would be the wound.

Trapped as he was he couldn't see any way to escape. He only hoped that Kagome had been able to escape and was safe.

8-8-8-8

As they made their way down the passage, Sango and Miroku couldn't help but be slowed by the apprehension growing within each of them. The unusual quality of the darkness before them was like nothing they'd ever experienced.

The striking quality of the scene before them was not the lack of light. It was the all encompassing nature of the darkness. It was not as if the background objects were being concealed. It was as if they ceased to exist. The slayer and the monk were both reminded of the fate of the objects that had been drawn into the void in Miroku's hand.

"Careful, Hoshi. We have no idea what we will encounter. I've never heard of a demonic darkness, but I don't like the feel of this."

"Indeed, Sango. There is an otherworldly feel in this place. It is the most unholy piece of ground that I have ever sensed."

The lack of light forced their pace to slow even more, giving Shippou and Kirara a chance to rejoin them. "I don't like it in here," Shippou whispered. "It feels like the walls are trying to suck me in."

Turning to look at the child, Miroku could see the faint track of a tear sliding down the kitsune's cheek reflecting the last of the light from the entrance. The look of sorrow that could be seen on the child's face cause the monk to stumble, momentarily. The waves of despair rolling off the small demon caught Sango's attention, too. "What's troubling you, Shippou?" she asked.

"I don't wanna be alone again. I can't help thinking about Pa and the way he died, right in front of me. I don't know why, but it feels like it happened right here." Shippou couldn't help but curl into a small ball, as he saw the sights of the worst day of his life replayed in the recesses of his mind. The vision soon blotted out all reality, and he was once again forced to live through watching his own father slaughtered and skinned. The child wailed as the life left the beloved body of his father.

Miroku watched the child with concern. There seemed to be no way to wake him from whatever had grasped his mind. He picked the small body up, and trying to give whatever comfort he could, he said,"Take heart, Shippou. There is a presence in this cave that seems to be affecting us all. I, myself, have felt the oppressive weight of the knowledge that my right hand will one day cause my death. Ever since we entered this particular tunnel, my mind has had to battle the most tyrannical thoughts."

Suddenly, the monk found himself reliving the day that his own father had died. The memories of futilely trying to reach his father before the man was consumed slowly changed to himself battling the growing void in his own hand. He tried with all his strength to pull the cursed hand away from his group of friends. The power of the wind was too great for him, though, and he could only watch with growing dread as his friends were pulled into the unknown. The last to go was the girl who had captured his wandering heart. The sadness that he felt at that moment was so great that he had no choice but to turn the weapon upon himself.

Sango saw her beloved monk fall to his knees. She could see the lack of recognition in his wondrous, violet eyes. The thought of his mind being tortured by unknown intrusions was enough to bring her anger to the front. The anger over the treatment of Miroku quickly turned to anger over her inability to protect those she had loved before.

She could see, all too clearly, the day that had brought an end to her family. This time she saw the evidence of her brother being attacked by the evil that had turned him into Naraku's puppet. She could see just how he was planning on dispatching the others of their group of slayers. She could see Kohaku moving towards their father, and she knew what the boy's plans were. She could see everything before it happened. She knew what the outcome would be, but she was unable to do anything to prevent its eventuality.

She railed at the body that would not heed her wishes to stop this from happening. She belittled her lack of strength at being unable to prevent this. She cursed herself for not being able to be the savior that was needed. She sank to the cave floor next to Miroku, and silent tears slid down her face.

8-8-8-8

Kagome found herself trapped within the darkest nightmare she had ever known. The walls around her seemed to be expanding to encompass not only her position but those of her friends, as well.

She was treated to the sight of Shippou lying alone on the cave floor, as he wailed his desolation for no living ears to hear. Her heart yearned to reach out in comfort to the child, but she found herself unable to move.

She saw Sango, the sister of her heart, writhing in ineffectual agony as the slayer relived the horrors of her past. Try as she might Kagome couldn't make her body move to the slayer's side.

She saw Miroku try to hide the hand that held the weapon of his demise. The monk tried in vain to direct the void away from his friends, and gave in to despair as he was unsuccessful. Again, she couldn't let him know that he was not responsible.

Then she saw Inuyasha, her protector, her mighty hanyou. He was trapped on the floor of the pit he had fallen into. His physical condition precluded his escape. The weight of the rocks covering him kept him pinned, ready prey for the darkness that was slowly devouring him.

The screams that left his mouth, as piece by piece his sanity was ripped from him, were enough to break the spell of stasis that held her. She gathered every bit of her will, and concentrated it into the strength she needed to escape the darkness.

With a flare her miko powers broke through the hold of the unseen master of the dark. She found that her body could once again move. Trained or not she would have to rely on her own powers and her strength if she wanted to save her friends.

8-8-8-8

Inuyasha could feel his will to escape slowly evaporating. Every second spent in this pit sucked a tiny bit more of his resolve from him. He could feel the darkness trying to invade his being, and he was slowly giving up the fight to keep it out.

His body was quickly losing more strength than he could afford. The blood flowing from his leg had not slowed. It would be so easy to give in to the comfort of the darkness. The promise of nothingness was the most he could hope for in the situation.

Just as he settled back to accept his fate, his good hand had brushed against the object that he had been so intent on securing only a short time ago. 'The damn sword's hilt,' he thought. "If I had listened to Kagome, and left it where it was, I wouldn't be stuck here. And I would know that Kagome was safe. It isn't even a sword, just the fucking hilt. What good is it?'

He picked up the object, and prepared to throw it as far as he could, but at the instant his fingers made contact the despair left his mind. He could swear that he felt the frustrated roar of a great animal as the tendrils of darkness left his thoughts.

He could also feel anger invade the small space of the pit. He could feel the thrashing of the foiled presence all around him. He could feel the darkness butting up against his aura with a jealously wicked longing.

Reacting to the surprising nature of the situation Inuyasha jerked backwards, losing contact with the hilt. When he did, the desolate coils once more made their move at invading his mind. As quickly as he could he grabbed the hilt, and held it close. No matter what else happened in this prison in which he found himself, the darkness could not claim him as long as he held it in his hands.

As the darkness left his mind clear, he thought of Kagome, alone on the level above him. If she was trapped in the depressive nature of the darkness was there any hope for her escape? She had nothing to ward off the all-encompassing nothingness of the dark.

Try as he might, he couldn't free himself so that he could go to her rescue. Each effort he expended to try and crawl out from under the weight of the rocks only served to renew the blood flow from his wounded leg. But he wouldn't give up, he couldn't give up. Kagome was out there, and she would need his help. Until the last drop of his blood was spilled on this rocky floor, he would not give up his effort to find and protect his miko.

8-8-8-8

Kagome was faced with two choices once she'd broken the spell of the darkness. Should she travel outward, and find the others who would be able to help her rescue Inuyasha? Or should she backtrack, and see what could be done for her friend before searching for the others?

If she chose to get help first, how long would it take? Would they be in time to help Inuyasha before the darkness claimed him? She still had no idea how seriously he was injured. He'd sounded as if he'd been in quite a bit of pain when he'd told her not to come any closer.

But the vision that she'd had concerning her friends was not pleasant. If she didn't find them now, would they be in any condition to help her later? She couldn't accept the idea of leaving them in the hell that her vision told her they were experiencing, but there really wasn't any choice. Her heart belonged to her hanyou, and she would never be able to forgive herself if she didn't see to his safety first.


	3. Rescue Me

I own nothing connected to the Inuyasha story or characters. I make no money from this.

I would like to thank the wonderful kojika00/malitiadixie for all her work finding the boo-boos in this. Without her help, this never would have been posted. She has a very steamy one-shot posted on media miner, by the way. If you like citrus–and who doesn't?–check it out. It's called "Passenger" and she uses the malitiadixie name on mm.

Rescue Me

Kagome slowly made her way back to where she'd left Inuyasha. This time she didn't fear strange shadow shapes in the dark. This time she didn't question the direction that she walked. She closed her eyes, and followed the path set down in her heart.

The ability to close off all the world's distractions and have faith in herself had been awakened when she'd broken the bonds of the darkness. She could still feel the aura of unspeakable evil surrounding her, but it no longer touched her. She could feel it growing in intensity as she drew closer to Inuyasha's position, and she could only hope that she would reach him in time to be of help.

When she was as close as she could comfortably come to where she thought the hole in the floor began, she called out to her friend, "Inuyasha, are you there? Can you hear me?"

She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she let out in a rush as she hear his weak response, "Damn it, Kagome, I thought I told you to get out of here. There's something here. I don't know what the hell it is, but I don't want you anywhere near it."

"Don't be a baka, I'm not going to try and get to the others again until I'm sure that you're okay. Keep talking so that I can find you. It's so dark that I can't see anything."

"It's so dark that _**I **_can't see anything, and my eyesight's better'n yours. And what the hell do you mean by 'try again'? What happened out there? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, now. I had a little trouble for a while, but it wasn't anything I couldn't take care of." While she was talking, Kagome had been making her way closer to Inuyasha's voice. She'd dropped to her hands and knees and was crawling toward where she knew the floor of the cave no longer occupied the space that it had before the lights had gone out. When her lead hand felt nothing but empty air beneath it, she knew she'd found the edge of the pit.

"Okay, Inuyasha, I'm gonna climb down to you. Keep talking so I can find my way, alright?"

"When you said that you had 'a little trouble', just what did you mean, wench?"

"I got lost in the darkness, but I found my way back. I wanted to make sure you were all right before I went to find the others." Kagome was alarmed by the fading quality of Inuyasha's voice. It seemed as if he had to struggle to get the words out.

She could feel the darkness bearing down on her as she climbed lower into the pit. She had to focus her concentration to keep the dark thoughts from breaking into her mind and soul, again. It had a hungry quality that had her on edge.

"Inuyasha, are you still there?"

"'Course I'm still here. Where the hell would I go?"

"I just wanted to make sure. You got awfully quiet, there. How badly are you injured?" Kagome really didn't like the way he sounded. His last few words had been little more than a whisper. At least she knew that she was getting close, to have been able to hear them at all.

"I've been through worse. At least I don't have a hole in my gut."

The attempt at levity was lost to both as the anger contained in the darkness once again railed at its inability to capture the two souls closest to it. The walls shook and stones were dislodged with the force of the frustrated wrath that was unleashed. Kagome had almost reached Inuyasha's side as the furry had exploded around them. She found herself thrown to the floor of the pit, just as a hail of rocks fell around her. The world continued to shake for a few minutes, and the rocks beneath her seemed to twist in agony. As the cave slowly settled back to it's natural state, she knew she had to find her bearings, once again. "Inuyasha, say something so that I know where you are."

The groan of pain that was her return greeting was not what she had been hoping for, but it was enough to pinpoint the location of her friend. Reaching out fully, she was just able to brush the tips of her fingers through the locks of hair on her left.

Scrambling closer, she grabbed the man in a fierce embrace. "Inuyasha, are you okay? Where are you hurt?"

"Oy, wench, if you'd let me breathe, maybe I could answer."

Kagome relaxed her embrace with a mumbled "Sorry" accompanied by a sever blush that spread across her cheeks. She was overcome with the simple joy of the moment. Having the most important person in her world in her arms again was the greatest gift she could hope for.

Quickly, her care taking nature came to the fore. "Seriously, Inuyasha, where are you injured? It has to be pretty bad for you to still be down here."

"I was trapped under this rock until the whole damn world moved a few seconds ago. I think I might be able to pull myself out now, though. When everything shifted, I think it gave me just enough room to escape."

Kagome started to help pull the boy from under the pile of rocks that still covered his lower half, but stopped as the hiss of pain broke forth from his mouth. Not being able to see the problem, she was hesitant to cause more harm to her friend.

In the complete darkness she couldn't see the paleness of her friend's skin. She couldn't see the faint blue tinge around Inuyasha's mouth. She couldn't see the growing darkness under his golden eyes. If she could see, she might have recognized the signs of severe blood loss. She could feel the tremors that wracked his body as coldness filled the void left by his blood. She knew that she had to do something to help, and do it fast.

Reaching to her core to find the strength buried there, she grasped the boy around his shoulders and pulled with all her might. She gave a small sigh of relief as the limp form slid out from under the rocks. 'Now, at least, I can find out where he's hurt. The baka never did answer me.'

Inuyasha fought to hold onto consciousness. There was no way he wanted Kagome down here, but since she was he refused to leave her without his support. Besides that, she would need the sword hilt that he still held. It would help her make it out of this hell hole.

As the miko worked to ascertain the extent of his injuries, Inuyasha took the opportunity to tell her what he knew. "Kagome, I think this hilt may be some kind of seal to keep whatever the hell is in here from attacking."

At that point, Kagome touched his injured leg in her search for injuries. "Damn it, Kagome. Don't break it anymore than it already is."

"I thought you said it wasn't bad. But it feels like it's bleeding a lot. Why didn't you tell me you were losing so much blood?"

"There wasn't much point to it. There wasn't a whole hell of a lot you could do about it, was there?"

"Inuyasha, this is too much blood to lose, even for you. I'm gonna have to find a way to stop it, or at least slow it down, if I'm ever going to get you out of here."

"Even if it stopped, I don't think you can get me out by yourself. This leg isn't going to be a big help when it comes to walking, let alone climbing out. And I haven't even tried to get my shoulder back where it belongs."

Blushing furiously, Kagome pulled the leg of Inuyasha's hakama up as high as it would go. While she cringed at the blood that she could feel dripping off the bunched material, she was glad that the legs of the pants were wide enough to give access to work on the hanyou's torn flesh.

Working in the dark, feeling for the source of the bleeding, she'd worked her way up from Inuyasha's ankle, past his calf, over his knee, until she finally found the gash on his inner thigh. The wound extended high enough that Kagome was sure they would both suffer from burst capillaries caused by terminal blushing.

The length and depth of the wound made her cringe, which Inuyasha misinterpreted as a sign of revulsion. "You don't have to do anything. If you can get to the others, I'll wait here. Maybe between the monk and Kirara, they can pull me out. But before you go take this. It'll help make sure you make it out."

With that he thrust the hilt into her unprepared hands. The instant he did, the darkness around them pushed its way into the very center of his being. All hope of making it out of the cave alive was lost to him. The keening wail that he offered to the air around him brought Kagome to tears. She had felt an instant redoubling of her strength in fighting the dark forces as soon as the object had touched her fingers.

Without thinking, the miko had thrown her arms around the hanyou in an effort to comfort him. When she did, the darkness left his mind, once again. The pain from his injured leg lessened, too. Whatever power the hilt contained seemed to be magnified when it was combined with the miko's own power.

Not wanting to chance a repeat of the resent events, Kagome forced the hilt into Inuyasha's good hand. "Just hold this while I take care of your leg, okay? If you let go of it again, I'm gonna be really mad, and you don't want to see me mad right now. Not that we can see anything, anyway."

Catching his breath after the emotional episode, Inuyasha informed her, "I could see just a minute ago. When you were holding this." He held the hilt up for Kagome to see.

"You're right. There was light, wasn't there. I was too concerned about what was happening to you to really pay much attention, though."

Kagome reached out and touched the object again, and there was indeed a faint light emanating from the point of contact. "I'm gonna look at that wound in your leg. See if you can keep that thing in contact with me while I do, okay?"

With the slight glow generated from the combination of powers guiding her, Kagome had a good idea about the location and extent of the wound. It was as bad as she'd thought it might be. The femoral artery was damaged, and was the cause of the excessive blood loss. She couldn't understand how Inuyasha had kept from passing out, even with his demon enhanced body. It would need pressure applied immediately to slow the blood loss, but unfortunately, she hadn't brought her backpack into the cave with her.

Considering what other resources might be available, she said, "Take off your shirt." Noticing the blush that suddenly dusted his cheeks, she explained, "I need your hadagi for bandages."

"That's not going to be easy with this shoulder, ya know? It's not exactly cooperating with the finer points of dressing or undressing."

Seeing the problem Inuyasha faced in removing both shirts so that she could use the undershirt to make bandages, Kagome loosened the tie holding the boy's hakama in place, so that she could pull the bottom of the shirts free. She then set about tearing strips from the white material. It was not as easy as she'd hoped it would be. Why did every article of clothing the hanyou wore have to be made of material that was unnaturally strong?

When she had enough bandaging material at the ready, she set about to bind the wound. The movement that had been necessary to prepare for this had caused even more blood to be lost. Inuyasha seemed to be having difficulty in simply holding on to the hilt in order to keep the dark force at bay. The contact with her body was intermittent, at best, and caused the small light to flicker. By this time she had a solid knowledge of where the wound was, and started wrapping the bandages around the wound.

The white material was instantly stained red, though. The flow of the blood leaving his body was slowing, due to the pressure the bandages provided, but it was still far more than she cared to see. The number of times she had to cover the wound with the bandages in order to reach the point of not having the top layer saturated with the red drops made for an awkward lump that would make walking even more difficult for the hanyou.

When the bandaging was completed Kagome took a minute to study Inuyasha with the aid of the small light. The shallow panting that he had exhibited while she was working on wrapping the wound seemed to be evening out into more natural breaths. He'd kept his eyes tightly closed while she worked on the binding, but now he slowly opened them to look at the girl that had just saved his life.

He knew that healing these injuries would take days, possibly even weeks, but he could no longer feel his very life slipping away. With supreme sincerity, he said, "Thank you, Kagome," and it was enough. It vindicated all the frustrations of their relationship. It gave proof to the fact that her yearnings for the man beside her were reciprocated. It told her of the feelings that were in his heart.

As the moment of unusual closeness passed Kagome set to work on Inuyasha's injured leg, once more. "I need you sword, Inuyasha."

"What the hell for? Now that you spent all that time wrapping the damn thing up, don't tell me you're planning on hacking it off."

"Don't be such a baka. I need the sheath to use as a splint. I just thought the sword would be safer if it was still in the sheath. If you tuck it in you obi uncovered you're likely to cut yourself again. I don't think that there's enough material left in your hadagi to bandage another wound."

"You can have the sheath, wench, but I'm keepin' the sword right in my hands where it belongs."

Kagome was heartened to hear some of the fire and bluster return to Inuyasha's voice, so she let him have his way without argument. Using the last of the strips of torn cloth, she secured the sheath to Inuyasha's leg, immobilizing it.

It was time for the monumental task of helping the hanyou to stand. Trying to decide the best way to accomplish this, Kagome paused to think. When all was still and quiet, she noticed that the power of the darkness seemed somehow stronger. While it couldn't invade either of their minds, it was continually butting up against their auras with increasing power.

Kagome was reminded of the horrifying vision that she'd had concerning her friends. She felt the sudden need to find their location. "Let's get you up and moving. I think there's an easier place to climb up over to the right."

And indeed there was. The shifting of the rocks had formed an almost smooth ramp for their use. Kagome stood to the left of Inuyasha as she helped him painfully regain his footing. His good arm was thrown over her shoulders to give him support. His right hand still carried the Tessaiga, and the strange object of power was tucked securely in the waist of his hakama.

The climb out of the pit was a slow trek. Within moments, Inuyasha's was covered with a fine sheen of sweat that gave voice to the effort involved. Kagome heard the quick hissing intake of breath whenever the pain became too great for her companion, but never once did he cry out or complain. Kagome did not complain, either, even though the effort of supporting Inuyasha was draining. She was determined to get him out of this hell alive.

Once the pair reached the summit of the pit's wall, they stopped to rest before starting the long walk to find their friends. Kagome gladly supported Inuyasha while they both caught their breath. "You can go find the others, now. As long as I'm out of that hole, I'll be okay. I'll only slow you down, anyway," Inuyasha panted.

"There's no way I'm going to leave you behind again. We'll find them together, or not at all."

Seeing that there was little use in arguing with a determined miko, Inuyasha said, "If we're going to go we'd better do it now. That thing in the pit is getting madder and stronger by the second."

"You noticed that too, huh? I wonder what it's feeding on to gain strength like that."

"Maybe Miroku can figure it out when we find him. He thinks he knows all about that spiritual shit, anyway."

So with renewed determination, the two set off retracing the path that they took into the cave. The small glow of the hilt that was tucked into Inuyasha's waistband helped them make better time than they would have realized in the total darkness of before. They soon found that as long as Kagome kept in contact with Inuyasha, and he was in contact with the object, the glow remained steady.

It seemed as if it took an eternity to retreat from the pit, but the progress was steady, if slow. Talk was kept to a minimum, so that both could conserve their strength. After traveling for an undetermined amount of time, Inuyasha turned to Kagome and said, "You have to be exhausted. I appreciate you lugging me out, but you can't keep this up. I'll be fine here until you can bring help back."

"I told you before that I'm not leaving you again. Besides, I can feel something up ahead. I don't think we're far from the others."

Within minutes the illumination cast by the hilt brought the sight of huddled forms to their eyes. The pitiful display caused the two to quicken their pace, and they reached their friends in a moment. The climb and the walk had totally exhausted both of them, but Kagome steadfastly refused to turn loose of her companion. Together they made their way to the suffering monk.

As soon as the miko's free hand made contact with the man, his fevered thrashing ceased. Slowly his violet eyes came into focus, and the haunted look left them. Looking at the two people before him, he gave a weak smile and a word of thanks.

Not wanting to lose contact with the monk they waited until he regained enough strength to stand so that the group could move to where Sango lay. When Kagome saw her friend's face twisted with grief, she couldn't hold her own tears back. "Oh, Sango. What have you had to live through to cause this?"

Miroku wasted no time in gathering the slayer into his arms. The embrace served to break the dark ties that had caused such grief. Sango awoke from her vision, and buried her head in Miroku's chest. "Oh, Hoshi, I thought all was lost to me, even you."

"And I thought you had been lost to me, also. It was the end of my world, because you are the whole world to me, Sango."

Not wanting to interrupt the tender moment between the two, but also realizing the need for speed, Kagome said, "We still have to wake Shippou and Kirara. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"Yeah. That bastard back there is getting madder by the minute. Even with this thing I can feel it." Inuyasha motioned toward the hilt that was still secured in his clothing.

Glancing around the immediate area, they all noticed that even in her pain, Kirara had curled around the small kitsune, trying to provide whatever comfort she could. The group made their way over to the pair, and woke them from their individual nightmares. Shippou immediately threw himself into Kagome's arms, nearly upsetting her hold on Inuyasha. Luckily the group stood in such close proximity to each other that contact was kept between them.

They waited a few minutes for the last two to clear the fog and darkness from their minds before they requested the neko to transform . Kirara was happy to comply with the request, and by nuzzling Inuyasha, once she had achieved her larger size, she demonstrated that she saw the reason for the request.

When they had the hanyou situated on the fire cat, they set out on the final leg of their journey. Before they had covered much ground, they felt the cave shake in anger once again. The entity that was still trapped in the pit was showing its displeasure at their pending escape.


	4. Know Your Enemy

I own nothing connected with the story or characters of Inuyasha. I make no money from this.

I would like to thank the lovely kojika00/malitiadixie for all the help she's provided.

Know Your Enemy

The group kept in careful contact with each other. Shippou kept up an almost constant stream of chatter, freeing the others from the need to talk. The little kit informed the others of the effects he'd suffered while under the influences of the incredible darkness.

He explained the utter desolation of watching the events of the past unfold while not being able to effect any changes. He told of the feelings of complete separation and aloneness that had taken over his entire wold. He spoke of his own inadequacies that had been brought to the fore of his mind, and they all recognized their own feelings in the child's words.

While listening to Shippou talk they all realized that the jealous nature of the darkness was growing angrier with each step that they took toward freedom. The floor of the cave shook, and rocks tumbled from the walls at the group's passing. Sango stumbled over a dislodged rock that had landed in her path, but due to her arm around Kirara, and Miroku's support on the other side of her, contact was not broken.

Suddenly the ceiling of the cave in front of them gave way, and they found themselves trapped in a massive cave in. The dust was far too thick to enable sight, even with the aid of the still glowing hilt.

When the dust settled, and it was ascertained that all were relatively uninjured, Inuyasha thought back to the rather flippant remark that he'd made to Kagome before the darkness had come.

It seemed that rocks could put up a fight, indeed. They just chose their time of battle with great cunning. The hanyou knew that he lacked the strength to lift his mighty sword, let alone use it to pulverize the rocks that now lay before them. The slowed but continual weeping of blood from his leg had sapped even more of his strength and power. His right shoulder still jutted at an unnatural angle, precluding the ability to swing his Tessaiga properly. The thought that he was unable to provide the help that his Kagome needed echoed through his mind, pulling him closer to the waiting darkness.

Kagome noticed that Inuyasha was close to unconsciousness. She sensed that not only was physical contact necessary between them to ward off the dark powers, but a mental connection was required, also. Holding the boy's face in both her hands, making a deep connection with her eyes, she spoke calmly and soothingly, "Inuyasha, you've got to hold on a little longer. We need you here with us. Without everyone, we're all lost."

Silently vowing to use every bit of strength he had to do as Kagome had requested, Inuyasha weakly nodded his head. He would find a way, somehow, to remain with his miko. The soft, warm embrace of love proved to be greater than the cold, harsh cradle of darkness.

Miroku knew that the hanyou's strength could not be counted on to remove them from danger this time, so he cast about for anything that might remedy the situation. What he found was not what he expected.

The cave in had served to open a previously sealed niche in the cave wall. Carefully reaching into it his fingers felt the edges of a scroll that had been concealed within the concavity. Pulling it out, he wondered at the age of the brittle writing material. His innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge pushed him to let the scroll unfurl so that he could read it.

Sango could feel the monk's movements through their points of shared contact, along with a small surge of power, and inquired, "What is it, Hoshi? What have you found?"

"It seems to be some sort of ancient text. Most of it appears to have been written in a very archaic form. It will take time to decipher it, time that we do not possess at present. The first part, though, looks to be a map of these very caves. It's not easy to make out in this light, but I think there may be another way to escape."

Worrying about the apparent effort it was taking Inuyasha to even hold up his head, Kagome said, "If there's another way out, we'd better find it before too long. I have to find a way to stop Inuyasha's wound from bleeding soon. I don't know how much longer he can hold on."

"Keh! I'll make it fine, wench. You keep forgetting I'm not a puny human, like you."

"You may have more strength than us, my friend, but from the amount of blood on Kirara's side, even your great reserves must be strained." Miroku always seemed to know the best way to persuade others to get what he desired, and talking to Inuyasha was not an exception.

Sango had been looking at the map over Miroku's shoulder. Now she joined the conversation for the first time. She had been unusually quiet since she had been forced into her own nightmare world. "The shortest route out of this cave would necessitate that we backtrack quite a bit. If we go back to the closest offshoot, it would take us far longer to gain our freedom. I don't particularly care to return so close to the source of the darkness, but I do think that time is of the essence." The slayer didn't like the way that the hanyou looked, even in the dim light that was granted. It was a moral imperative that she not allow anyone else in her life to die.

The group reversed the direction of their trek. The closer they came to the epicenter of the darkness, the quieter they became. As they neared the closest point to their unknown enemy they could all feel the viciousness of the attempted attacks buffeting their already bruised psyches. They could hear Inuyasha's ragged breaths, as the hanyou seemed to be faring the worst of them all. The strain of holding on to consciousness while battling the effects of his injuries seemed to be taking a great toll.

Even experiencing the debilitating effects of the darkness, the remainder of the group redoubled their efforts to leave the cave. They knew that any delay could prove disastrous. Kagome held on to her wounded protector even tighter, as Shippou climbed aboard Kirara to help steady Inuyasha.

Sango flanked the fire cat's other side and helped hold the hanyou in place. The memories of how Inuyasha had aided her in the past, even forgiving her for trying to take Tessaiga, ran through her mind, giving her strength. This time she would not give up. This time she would not stand by as someone she cared for died. "If you are up to it, Kagome, I can travel at a faster pace. I would just as soon be out of this place quickly."

"I think I can stand to go a little faster. How about you, Miroku?"

"I'm always ready for a challenge, my dear ladies. I only wish to remove ourselves from this area so that I can discuss a plan I have devised that will prevent

our being trapped again."

As they made their way away from the dark force, all watched their friend intently. Seeing how hard it was for the hanyou to remain upright, they kept close to Kirara's sides. Even Shippou did what he could to ensure that Inuyasha would not fall.

The neko kept her steps steady and even. She could feel the wetness of the boy's blood as it dripped slowly down her side. She could feel the strain of the hanyou's heart as it continued in its desire to beat. She could feel his hands slowly losing their grip in her fur. When she felt him start to slip, she would nudge her mistress. Sango would set the young man to rights again without even missing a step.

Once they were far enough away from the center of the evil, Miroku felt free to tell the others of his plan. They would continue as quickly as possible, enclosed in a weak barrier. This would keep the darkness from knowing exactly what they were doing, while still not angering it with their sudden absence. They would walk in a linear mode, with himself leading the way. He would place ofuda as far in front of them as possible, to prevent the evil from reaching them, or overtaking their position. With proper care, the entity of the dark would never know what they were doing.

Knowing that there was no better moment in time to begin than the one they were experiencing right then, Miroku erected his barrier with care. He set the first ofuda down within the barrier, and threw the next as far out in front as he could. Thus the path in front of them was guaranteed to be free of evil.

They continued on in this fashion for some time until he felt Sango pull him back. She'd had to make a quick catch of the falling hanyou. While walking single file let them leave a bigger profile to confuse the darkness, it failed to provide support for the waning hanyou.

Kagome had rushed to his side when she saw him begin to slip, but Sango had reached Inuyasha before the miko could. Both girls and Shippou could see that Inuyasha was losing his battle to remain conscious. Fearing for his safety if he should lapse into sleep, Sango said, "We could cover the remaining ground more quickly if we rode on Kirara with Inuyasha between us. I don't believe we have much further to go. According to the map, there should be a turn in the tunnel just ahead, and the entrance is just beyond that. Kirara can you carry us that far?"

Receiving an affirmative nod from the cat, Kagome held Inuyasha up while Sango climbed on the neko's broad shoulders. Miroku kept one hand firmly holding the cat's fur while Sango steadied the hanyou as Kagome took her place behind the boy. The two women both noticed the perspiration saturated hair and the tremmors that now wracked the body of the man they were supporting. "We have to hurry, Hoshi. I don't think Inuyasha can hold on much longer."

With a huff, and a 'Keh!' set to break from his lips, Inuyasha's indignant reply was interrupted as the monk replied, "Come, Kirara. We can quicken our pace now."

The monk and the cat did quicken their steps, indeed. Soon the group found themselves running through the tunnel. Miroku was hard-pressed to keep hurling his ofuda in front of them. He found his strength renewed when he spied a faint reduction in the darkness before him. It was enough to show where the tunnel changed direction. As soon as the group made the turn, the light of day could be seen shining through a small opening.

This mouth of the cave system was not as large as the one from which they had entered, but it was expansive enough to provide a comfortable egress. Just as Miroku started to pass through the arch of the opening, the rocks above began to fall. Launching himself into the air, the monk felt Kirara leave the ground, also. The two made it out just as the top of the opening fell to the ground. This entrance to the caves was effectively sealed.

The group had a second to blink in the bright sunlight and take a deep breath of the fresh air before Inuyasha lost his war with unconsciousness. "We have to get back to where I left my pack. I have medicinal herbs and bandages in there. I have to take care of Inuyasha's injuries." Kagome's voice held the slightest twinge of hysteria now that they were safely out of the cave.

"Kirara, take them back to the place of our original entrance. I will return as soon as I say a prayer to seal this entrance for good," Miroku told the cat.

Kirara took off with her passengers, and the monk turned toward the rocks covering the opening. As Miroku began his prayer, the tumbled rocks merged into a solid mass. When his job was finished he began the walk back to the place that had been their original introduction to the darkness.

Starting out at a walk, Miroku soon quickened to a run, realizing that Kagome would need his help in relocating Inuyasha's shoulder and setting any broken bones. Sealing the cave had taken longer than he realized, and he knew that it would be best to see to his friend's injuries before darkness settled upon them.

As he reached their original entrance to the cave, he saw that Sango and Kagome had chosen a spot in the meadow where Shippou and Kirara had romped earlier to see to Inuyasha. The girls had wanted to be no closer to the cave than they had to be. Miroku noticed that even though it was still daylight, there was already a fire burning. When he'd drawn closer he also noticed that Inuyasha's leg was not only re-bandaged with clean wrappings, but his leg was splinted, too. His shoulder no longer seemed to jut from his body at an unnatural angle and was now secured with its own wrappings.

"However did you manage to accomplish this by yourselves? It would have taken great strength to put Inuyasha's shoulder back into place."

"When Sango decided she's going to do something, it's amazing how strong she can be," Kagome answered, giving her friend a smile of gratitude. "Without her determination, I don't know if Inuyasha would have made it. She managed to keep just the right amount of pressure on his wound while I sutured it. And there's no one I would rather have with me to help set broken bones. It was almost as if she was possessed by the spirit of a great healer."

"And I found firewood to keep Inuyasha warm," Shippou added. "I even found just the right branches to use to splint his leg." The small kitsune was as close to Inuyasha's side as he could be. As much as they baited each other, there was genuine affection between the two, and Shippou was worried about his friend.

"How is he doing?" Miroku asked as he moved closer to the hanyou. No matter what answer he received from the others, he would have to see for himself in order to be satisfied.

While he inspected his friend's condition he listened as Kagome said, "He seems to be holding his own now, but he's lost so much blood that I'm worried about him. We lit the fire to keep him warm. He was shivering so hard by the time we got here that Sango and I almost couldn't hold him."

"It seems as if the pallor of his skin is lessening," Miroku observed. "We should be able to tell more by morning. I don't think it would be wise to move him further tonight.

"While we rest, I would like to study the scroll that I found. It may provide some insight into what it was that we encountered in that cave."

"I don't think rest is in my future, as long as we remain so close to that cave," Sango said. "If you don't mind, Hoshi, I will study the scroll with you. If it tells of how to seal the darkness again, I would like to know of it."

The two moved to the other side of the fire to look at the scroll and learn whatever it cared to impart to them. They kept their heads together and whispered back and forth about specific passages as they went over each line of the text.

Kagome kept herself busy tending to Inuyasha. He had moments of lucidity sandwiched between times of unconsciousness. When he did awake, he told her over and over how much he'd been amazed at her calm intensity. He praised her strength and determination. He was compelled to let her know that without her, none of them would have made it out of the cave. They would have become part of the darkness that haunted the ground.

When he was awake, Kagome insisted that he drink a tea that she had made from herbs to help ward off infection. Leaving the wound untreated for so long was not the best scenario, even if it had been unavoidable. When Inuyasha lapsed into sleep, she would wipe his fevered brow with a damp cloth to help cool him. She wouldn't be able to sleep or leave his side until she was sure of his recovery.

Shippou and Kirara were both sleeping at the hanyou's sides. Kirara had resumed her small size once they'd landed. It had been the neko who had decided to make camp far away from the entrance to the hateful cave. She had curled up and gone into an exhausted sleep as soon as everyone had disembarked.

Kagome was startled out of her introspection by Miroku's movement. "If you have a moment to spare, Kagome, we would like to go over what we have learned."

"Sure, guys. Inuyasha is sleeping now, anyway. He should be okay for awhile."

She made her way over to the others, but kept looking back at the man she was sure would be her future. She hated to leave his side, but reasoned that she would still be close enough to him if he needed her.

When she reached the far side of the fire, Miroku began to quickly fill her in on the information the scroll contained. It seemed as if the darkness was an ancient evil that had somehow escaped the depths of hell, itself. A sect of monks, now extinct, had been able to seal the darkness in this cave, but at a great cost. All but one had lost their lives in the fight, and that one remaining monk had laid dying as he wrote the scroll they were now reading.

The manuscript told of how the dark entity gained strength by feeding off the life and livelihood of any living thing with which it came into contact. When nothing but despair was left of the being in its grasp, it would absorb the unlucky victim completely. All three shuddered at that thought that this had almost been their fate.

Never once was the entity named. It was referred to simply as 'The Darkness'. The dying monk wrote that there was no way to banish it, just as there was no way to banish lightness of the spirit from the face of the earth, but it could be contained within the cave.

Reading further they had discovered that the monks had found that feelings of affection and joy caused a jealous reaction from the darkness. In order to draw it into the cave they had sacrificed a pair of young lovers as bait. When the dark entity was occupied devouring the pair, the monks had wrestled it into the deepest part of the cave. They had sealed the being in the eternal darkness, and set a talisman to keep it from escaping. The talisman was in the rough shape of a cross, or sword hilt. The battle had proved too much for almost all of the monks. They died in the cave from wounds caused by the mighty battle. The lone survivor could only be assumed to have died after he set the manuscript in its alcove.

The last lines of the scroll translated to:

_Woe to whoever finds this work, for it means that you have ventured into a place of untenable evil. If the darkness is released it will find its way into the world, once again. It will take one of greater spiritual power and strength than I possess to seal it again. If this should come to pass, the talisman must be set in one of the places of power that are shown on the map. May the grace of the Kami be with you in your endeavor._


	5. return the light

I own nothing connected to the story or characters of Inuyasha. I make no money from this.

Return the Light

It was decided between the three of them that Sango and Miroku would return to the cave, but they would wait until daylight. The pair would venture only as far as necessary into the cavern. They would place the talisman in the closest point of power.

Miroku would cover their presence with a barrier, so as not to alarm the darkness. The barrier would not be removed until the talisman was in place. Then the slayer and the monk would retreat with all speed.

Once the seal was placed the dark entity would be understandably enraged. While it wouldn't be able to escape, it had already shown that it could affect the structure of the rocks. The possibility of a cave in would be great. Sango and Miroku had no desire to be trapped in the caves with the evil presence, even if it was sealed.

Since they had a mission to accomplish the next day, Sango and Miroku decided to rest while they could. Kagome reclaimed her spot at Inuyasha's side. When she sat down, she smoothed the stray hairs out of the hanyou's face. The warmth of her touch caused him to open his eyes. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Keh! I wasn't sleeping. I was just resting my eyes. I've been sleeping too damn much lately. So what was the conversation between you three about?"

"Miroku and Sango are going to use the talisman to reseal the darkness in the cave. They're going back in there after first light. Then we can go back home and treat your wounds properly."

"The hell they are!" The force of Inuyasha's voice brought a smile to Kagome's face. If he was strong enough to bellow, he was recovering nicely. "If anyone goes back in there it'll be me. I'm the one who pulled that fucking thing out in the first place. I'm responsible for putting it back. I don't want anyone else putting themselves in danger to fix my mistake."

"You can't even sit up by yourself. How are you planning on being able to go back into that cave?"

"Kirara can help me, just like she helped get me out. Besides, by morning I'll be fine. I'm not as weak as you, remember?"

Seeing the futility of arguing with a stubborn hanyou, Kagome offered a compromise. "Fine. Why don't you get some more sleep. In the morning, if you can get past me, you're welcome to take the talisman back into the cave yourself."

"You got a deal, wench." They both went to sleep with a confident smile on their lips.

8-8-8-8

Miroku and Sango rose with the sun. Both had slept remarkably well, knowing that the outcome of this battle would be decided this day, one way or the other. They quietly made preparations for their quest, not wanting to wake the others.

Kirara was the first to wake. The twin-tailed kitten walked over to her mistress and nuzzled Sango's hand in greeting. Sango knew that the action was the neko's silent entreaty for their safe return. The slayer tried to convey confidence of victory as she stroked the kitten. Sango saw the question in the cat's eyes and responded to it. "We will do our best to return unharmed, but this must be done."

Even though the words were whispered, they resulted in another pair of eyes opening. Kagome watched as her friends made their final preparations for their quest. When all was ready she said, "I've been thinking about this all night, and I think it would be a good idea to try and strengthen the power of the talisman before you take it back in there. Maybe if Miroku and I work on it together for a little while, it would help."

"A few minutes would not be a great delay, and I, too, think it would be beneficial," the monk responded. "We can only follow what our hearts dictate in a situation of uncertainty, such as this."

The two sat together in meditation, the talisman held between them. While they poured all the spiritual reinforcements into the ancient object that they could, Inuyasha was also slowly waking up.

The dull fire and sharp pains that he felt move throughout his body told him that the injuries had not had proper time to heal, but he'd be damned if he'd let anyone else know this. Gathering his resolve, he attempted to sit up. It wasn't a quick process.

Sango noticed the hanyou's movement and came to his side. "You shouldn't try moving around yet, Inuyasha. You're not fully recovered." The slayer put one hand on his chest and gently pushed him back into a reclining position. As she pulled up the blanket that had covered him during the night, and tenderly tucked it around him, she said, "You need to rest to build your strength. You don't want the fever to return, do you?"

"Keh! I'm fine, Sango. I'm not some weak human, you know." Inwardly, he was seething at how easily the woman had been able to overcome him. His strength hadn't returned at all! If anything, he was weaker than when he'd fallen asleep, and his fever was starting to climb again, too. But Sango was a demon slayer, after all. She was experienced with demon physiology, and finding weaknesses. His bargain had been with Kagome. Surely the miko would not be able to push him around this easily.

"Be that as it may, it will still take time to regain your strength. The amount of blood that you lost yesterday will prevent your injuries from healing for a while yet. Let us take care of this while you recuperate."

Inuyasha huffed his answer to the discussion, but remained still as he waited for Kagome. Once the miko returned he would be able to prove that he was stronger than she and take over the mission to reseal the cave.

When Kagome and Miroku finished infusing their spiritual power into the talisman, the monk and slayer started off on their quest. Indignant over being ignored, Inuyasha addressed the miko, "Oy, Kagome. Ain't you forgettin' something? We had a deal, remember? I'm gonna be the one to fix this mess. This is my fight, and I'll be the one to finish it."

While he'd been talking, he'd managed to sit up once more. Kagome walked over to him, and gently pushed him back down. "You know you're in no shape to go back in there, Inuyasha. Now take it easy so your wounds have a chance to heal."

Throwing the cover off, Inuyasha tried to sit up, yet again. This time the movement roused Shippou, who had been sleeping at the hanyou's side. Reaching a small hand up to Inuyasha's arm, the tiny kitsune pulled the man back down. "Lay still, Inuyasha. I can't sleep when you're moving all around."

Inuyasha realized the futility in trying to prove strength that he apparently didn't have if even Shippou could overpower him, and watched as two of his closest friends walked toward uncertainty.

8-8-8-8

As they neared the cave Sango and Miroku could both feel that the power of the darkness had increased greatly. The moss that had embellished the face of the opening was now brown with death. The bodies of birds and small animals decorated the ground in close proximity to the mouth of the cavern.

"It appears as if we have no time to lose, my dear Sango. I think that now would be a good time to set our barrier. Stay close once it is up. I'm not sure how far it will extend."

"I'm ready, Hoshi. I would like to put this in the past before any more innocent lives are lost."

Seeing the determination settle on the face of the woman he loved, Miroku erected the barrier over them. They made their way into the cave, only to find more dead bodies of small animals strewn along the path. The rate of decomposition of the bodies seemed to have been hastened by the greed of the darkness to devour them. At one point Miroku stumbled over the remains of a rather small fawn, only to see its mother's body off to the side. Sango had managed to hold the monk upright, thereby keeping their contact constant.

The sight of so much death and destruction weighed heavily on both of them. Miroku saw all life as a sacred gift, and to see that so much had been ripped painfully away from its rightful owner caused him great grief.

Sango had seen so much viciousness in her life that the sight of the bodies brought tears to her eyes. Even the lives of the lesser demons that were interspersed with the natural animals brought home the point that it had been done for no cause except to feed the strength of a great evil. The correlation to the deaths of her family almost brought her to the brink of despair.

The further they walked into the tunnel, the more prolific the scenes of death became. How much of this could they have prevented, if they had returned to set the talisman immediately? Both of them were starting to feel the guilt and despondency of the situation, when suddenly Sango's mind woke to the knowledge that it was the increased power of the dark entity that was at work.

Shaking the monk to bring him out of the darkness, Sango said, "Either you must find a way to increase the strength of the barrier, or we must bring the talisman out of concealment. The power of the evil presence has grown too strong."

Miroku blinked in surprise, as he registered Sango's words. As he put the last bit of power into the shield, he realized that without the strength of the woman at his side he would have been gradually overcome by the darkness.

He had long been able to see the courage of the slayer, but her fortitude never failed to impress him. Even her willingness to see past his flirtatious nature and wandering hand testified to a confidence in herself that few could be said to possess.

This delicate flower of womanhood that was encased in an iron will was the answer to his every desire. She was soft and yielding, yet strong and determined. She was the most beautiful person that he'd ever met, yet she remained unspoiled by conceit. She was, and always had been, the answer to all his needs. She was the perfect mate for his soul, and he thanked the fates everyday for bringing her into his life.

Sango looked at the monk with awe. How could one man hold so much spiritual power? The ability to hold this barrier for so long must be so draining, yet Miroku didn't complain. After a lifetime of looking out for herself, and constantly having to prove her worth in a man's world, she was relieved that the monk would take this opportunity to protect her and still not think less of her. She could relax when she was with the hoshi, and never feel that she had failed a test of character. When they were together they were both free to simply be themselves, and not what the world expected them to be. She knew that with Miroku she would always be an equal partner.

Miroku had managed to hold the barrier long enough for them to safely approach the spot that the talisman had to be placed. The time of danger would come when the barrier was removed. Before he dropped the spiritual shield there was still one thing that he had to do.

Without thought, he pulled his lady love into a tight embrace, and kissed her with enough emotion to last an eternity, if need be. It had entered his thoughts that this could possibly be the last chance they would have to express their feelings for each other, and he was not willing to let the moment pass unmarked.

Sango responded instinctually to the embrace, and held her man just as tightly as he held her. She returned every bit of emotion in her kiss. It was a silent pledge of two souls to always celebrate their love. It was a promise to stay side by side throughout eternity.

When they finally broke apart, Miroku said, "We must finish this now, Sango, my love. But if anything happens to prevent my escape, remember that I will always be with you."

"And I will forever be by your side, Hoshi." Sango felt the thrill of love run through her body just before the gale strength winds blew past them. It was all the slayer could do to hold onto the monk.

Miroku knew the moment of truth had arrived. The darkness knew of their presence, and the talisman was no longer hidden from it. Dropping the barrier to conserve his strength, he reached out to put the object in its rightful place.

The force of the wind increased as it shrieked throughout the system of tunnels. Miroku tried in vain to reach the last few inches that were needed. The realization that he would not succeed brought worry for the safety of the woman he loved so dearly. "Sango, run! There's no way that I can fight this wind to set the talisman in place. I may be able to hold the darkness off long enough for you to escape, though."

"I told you that I would be by your side forever, and I meant it, Hoshi. I will not leave this spot without you." Sango reached out and joined her hand with the monk's and added her strength to his. It was just the extra amount of push that was needed, and together they set the talisman in place.

Once the object was set, a great and terrible wrenching could be felt. The strong winds were joined by the sudden shifting of the ground. Miroku looked at Sango and said, "I suggest we make a hasty departure, my lady. I would like to continue our kiss in the light of day."

Both the slayer and the monk took off at a run, never losing the grasp of the other's hand. When one would stumble the other was there to lend support. They ran with a speed that surpassed the wind. They gave each other the confidence to expect escape.

As they neared the mouth of the cave, the line that the darkness could not cross, they saw the rocks begin to fall. Together they made a superhuman effort to gain their freedom. They would either live together or die in each other's arms.

8-8-8-8

Kagome was pacing around the campfire. Her attention divided between the entrance to the cave and the man that was caught in a fevered dream. Inuyasha had experienced a return of the elevated temperature that he had fought the night before. She had tried everything that she could think of to bring it down, but nothing had worked. Kagome feared that the wound in his leg had become infected. With his strength so depleted, Inuyasha stood no chance of fighting it on his own.

Suddenly the mouth of the cave erupted in a fury of dust and rocks. Kagome stared at the opening, hoping against hope that her friends would appear, but the cloud of debris wouldn't give permission for her eyes to make out anything concealed within it.

Running in the direction of the collapsing rocks, Kagome almost missed Sango and Miroku's tumbling forms. The pair was as gray as the dust they emerged from. The force of the wind had aided their escape, but had caused them to lose their footing. As the two rolled to a halt, Kagome saw that they were holding hands. It was a strange but seemingly effective tactic, as the couple had escaped relatively unharmed.

Miroku looked at Sango, and both silently nodded. After their trek through the cavern of death, they knew what had to be done. Sango hurled her hiraikotsu above the cave opening, bringing down even more rocks. Before the stones had fully settled, Miroku was busy with the prayers that would fuse them together, thus preventing any unwitting entry.

"Quickly, Sango. Let us find all possible exits that are marked on the map. We must close them all."

With all speed and determination, they made their way to each known point of possible entry. Sango would bring down a rain of stone, and Miroku would then meld them into a solid wall. The nightmare of the darkness would not end until every possibility of it being able to cause another death was removed.

Only when the last opening was closed did the two return to their friends. They did not expect to be met by a frantic woman and a delirious man, but that was what awaited them. Shippou and Kirara had been sent to the stream to bring fresh water to clean the hanyou's wound as well as bathe his fevered brow.

Kagome was at the end of her composure. Worry for Inuyasha's health had been working on her all day. As the man had battled the fever throughout the day, his mumbled words had become more disjointed. At one point the miko could swear that he had been having a conversation with his mother. The hanyou had tried to assure her that he would be good, if only she wouldn't look so sad anymore. The tear that had escaped the corner of his eye had broken Kagome's heart. She'd done the only thing that she could think of at that moment. She held him closely while stroking his hair. She'd told him that he had been good, and that he only brought joy to her life. It had seemed to comfort Inuyasha, because he'd been able to sleep without fretting for a short period.

But it hadn't lasted long. His fever had continued to climb all the while she had waited for their friends' return. By the time Miroku and Sango finished their mission Inuyasha had fallen silent. His tormented thrashing had been almost stilled due to the depletion of his strength,

Kagome knew which herbs were needed to help fight the infection before it was too late, but they did not grow in the area. Even if they did, she couldn't chance leaving Inuyasha in such a helpless state. He would be easy prey for any animal or demon in the area. Even humans would not hesitate to end his life if they found him like this.

Quickly Sango and Miroku took charge of the situation. They made short work of packing up their camp. Miroku filled every container that they could easily transport with the water that Shippou and Kirara had brought back. Sango wrapped Inuyasha in the blankets that they had to help insure that the trip would be as pain free as possible. Kagome gratefully watched as her friends took charge. She had reached the point of emotional exhaustion that precluded rational thought. She realized that there was always at least one of their small group willing and able to pick up the slack whenever she needed support, and she offered a silent prayer of thanks.

When all was ready, Sango once again took her place on the transformed Kirara. Miroku carefully lifted the fevered Inuyasha behind her. Kagome climbed on behind him, and held him securely in place. It was decided that they would return to Kaede's hut with all possible speed. Miroku would carry Shippou, and get to the village as quickly as he could.

Kirara took off with great gentleness, as Kagome spoke soothingly to Inuyasha. Sango asked every deity that she could think of to insure their safe return. Even though the trip took little more than an hour, it seemed as if it would never end.

By the time they reached Kaede's, Inuyasha was soaked in perspiration, yet he trembled with the chills that ran through his body. Sango wasted no time in securing help in moving the Hanyou into the home of the village priestess. There was no one that would refuse her command that day.

When they had settled the man on the futon that was close enough to the fire to prevent further chills, Kaede began her examination. She quickly ascertained that the broken bones had been set properly, but the wound was indeed infected. The antiseptic herb that Kagome had yearned for would be the preferential treatment for the injury. Unfortunately, Kaede did not have it in her possession. She gathered a contingent of villagers and charged them with finding enough to treat Inuyasha's wound. She really didn't think that they would return with enough of the scarce herb in time to save the young man, but it was the best that could be done in the situation.

Soon after the party of villagers had left on their quest, Miroku and Shippou made their way back to the home of their friend. The long faces that greeted them let them know that the news was not good.

Seeking to give whatever comfort he could to his surrogate mother, Shippou said, "I know it's not much, Kagome, but I found this for you. You were talking about needing it this morning, and we saw it on the way here. I made Miroku stop, so I could pick it. It is the right one, isn't it?"

The small kitsune held out a very large bunch of the very herb that Kaede had just sent the villagers to find. "Shippou, you are really a life saver! As soon as I give this to Kaede, I'm going to give you the biggest kiss and the tightest hug that you've ever had!"

8-8-8-8

It had been a long, tense night. There were times when Inuyasha's future had been in doubt, but the antiseptic made from Shippou's herbs had done the trick. It was a treat to hear the complaints come from their friend's mouth as the fever started to recede. If Inuyasha was complaining, he was recovering. There was enough for the man to complain about to keep him occupied for quite a while.

After the fever had broken, and they all had a few hours of restful sleep, Inuyasha had let them all know how much mending bones itched. And when it was time to change the dressing on his wound the whole village was made aware of just how much the strong antiseptic burned. The volume of the yell that the hanyou let lose was high enough to assure that the forest was free of nesting birds for some time to come.

Then he let everyone know that the bed was too soft, the blankets were too confining, the hut was too stuffy and the tea that they made him drink was entirely too undrinkable. Every time a new complaint came to his mind he would sit up in preparation of sharing it with the others. Each time that he sat up, Kagome would gently push him back down, with a reminder that he needed to regain his strength.

When all matter of lack of comfort had been addressed, the group began discussing what had happened in the cave. Kaede had heard legends of the great darkness that had almost overcome the world in the past, and offered her insight whenever necessary.

It was the consensus of those present that the glowing walls were an outgrowth of the darkness, itself. It was a trap to lure unsuspecting prey close enough to the evil being to help keep it fed while it lay dormant. It must have been possible because age had weakened the power that had been used to seal it. The kiss that was shared by Kagome and Inuyasha had awakened the hunger of the evil power. The couple had shared feelings similar to those of the young lovers that had been used to lure the darkness into the cave. The pain caused to the evil entity by their love had been great enough to wake it from hibernation.

When Inuyasha had removed the talisman, all the fury that had been suppressed for so long broke loose. That was what had caused the floor of the cave to collapse. The cunningness of the dark was such that it could feel their deepest desires and darkest fears. The evil one immediately began feeding on the misery it caused them to feel. As it consumed the their desolation, it became stronger.

When Kagome broke free if its hold, and Inuyasha shielded himself from it with the talisman, the fury of the darkness neared insanity. It would not like the idea of losing the pair of young lovers. After a millennia long diet of small snakes and rodents that happened to wander too close, the humans, hanyou and demons of their group would have been an unimaginable feast.

When they had removed the talisman from the cave, the darkness had lured an untold number of victims into it's grasp. It still didn't have the necessary strength to leave the system of caverns that held it prisoner, but with each new conquest it grew closer to being able to escape.

After reentering the cave, Miroku and Sango's shared kiss alerted the entity to their presence. Their love caused a point of light in the darkness, and the light caused pain for the evil. It reacted with a fury born of desperation. It unleashed every bit of power that it had, yet Sango and Miroku managed to replace the talisman.

By sealing the cave entrances, the pair had instinctually found the way to prevent the darkness from gaining strength. Without life to devour, it would never again be able to escape.

"What I can't understand is how you had the strength to get me out of that pit, wench." Inuyasha looked at Kagome with wonder and admiration showing in his eyes.

"I don't understand how that worked, either. All I know is that I wasn't going to leave you alone in the dark again."

"And the power that it took to break the hold of the darkness would be so great, Kagome. I couldn't begin to free myself. How did you manage to do it?" Sango shuddered at the memory of the way the darkness had held her so tightly in its grasp.

"It seems as if the power of love, combined with whatever strength was left from the original sealing combined to overcome the obstacles that the darkness tried to place in you way. You are indeed fortunate to have such feelings for each other. Without them I fear that none of you would have returned." Kaede refused to contemplate the horrors that she feared her young friends would have suffered if they had remained in the clutches of the evil darkness. "It looks as if each of you took your turn at guaranteeing the success of this undertaking. You each have the strength to come to the aid of the others when needed. You complement each other well."

"Whatever it was, I'm just glad that it's all over and that we got away. I never want to have to go back there again." Shippou gladly sucked on the lollipop that Kagome had given him.

"Perhaps," Miroku added, "but it never hurts to keep our guard up against the things of this world that seek to cause harm. We can never foretell where it will appear again."

8-8-8-8

The sparrow flew above the flower filled meadow, looking for a meal of insects or grubs. For some reason its food had become scarce in this area. The small bird was attracted to a strange twinkle that seemed to come from an unusual rock formation. Settling down on a relatively flat surface, it pecked at the softly glowing spot.

A few small rocks slid from their perch, and an opening appeared. The bird found that the opening was just big enough to permit entry into a small niche, and the twinkling glow that was just beyond the entryway.

Without a thought the bird hopped into the darkness, and its happy world ceased to be.

8-8-8-8

So there it is. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy Halloween to all.

And once again, a special thank you goes to kojika00/malitiadixie for all her help with this.


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